The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-08-04

thousands Of costly books and woa1e = &
art. On the left Of the hall We Ml@5
Longfellow's reception -par1or, end u ~
filled the same ohice for Mfs. Woo6lu
ton. Adjoining. this room ives . lan39
dining-room, and Il was here that ~
poet, surrounded by congenial splf1oo
shone ct his best. s9''
Longfellow's very extensive schol11s
ship and excellent memory made his ooos;
versation more delightful than thst ~
any man I ever met. He would naff9to
with equal ease "reminiscences Of diottns
guished men he had himself known, en6
then would be equally at home With ~
gone celebrities; the sages Of Cueon.
Elizabeth's time, the wits of Queen AIMEE
and the knights of chivalrous foray ~
the paladins of Charlemagne. OF anus:
ing anecdotes he had an immense fu1d
and never told the same story twice.
Dining with him once we were discuss
ing some of Sir Walter Scott's charae-
ters, and called up that scene In 1.-THE Tai
isman" in which Saladin takes on tn
head of the grand master Of the Tenn
plars by lightning sweep of his seine
tar. "But l can tell you Of q swordsmafl
still more adroit," said Longfellow, ~
you would like to hear an Instance Of
his skill" "By all means" / answered.
swell, then" he replied, "there 10 said
to have been q Sultan of Turkey ~
famous for his dexterity in decapitation
that 1t was considered q great honor
to be beheaded by him. Accordingly ho
sent one day for man of high rank, and
told him he was going to do him the
honor Of taking his head on. TO hear
is to obey said the delighted courtier.
The Sultan then drew his sword ard
passed 1t lightly round the neck cf TIE
courtier, adding, How do you feel now &
ing man. Shake your head,' said tha
Sultan. The courtier did 90, and It In
stantly fell of, for he had been 90 wen,
derfully executed that he never knew Il
There" said Longfellow, twas toucl
beyond Saladin," and we all 90 conh'
pletely agreed with him that we news
thought even to ask the name Of ~
wonderful swordsman. sit1
| At Newport, again, often met Long
fellow, where for several seasons h
occupied house on the cliffs. Then
was charming to have familiar strol
with him along the rocky brink Of th
sea-wall, looking out upon the w
ocean, the beach and the adjacent head
lands and islets in the distance. Vd.en
was that his real nature as poet seem
to flow from him without restrat.,t
and 1t was with serene delight thsSAis
would dwell upon the might and glory
of the ocean, the peaceful meadows and
the distant hay-ricks and wind-mills q
the old island. ss
| After many years of happiness end
fame, he had the sad misfortune to loe(
his wife by . dreadful accident. ehl
had been amusing her children one sum
mer day by taking impressions Of sealtul
wax some Of It dropped burning upol
her light summer dress, and she was n
stantly in flames, dying very soon afler
ward. Thenceforth the poets life Wa
saddened forever. I visited him several
times after his bereavement. He b0re
up manfully for the sake of his children,
but It was evident that his spirit VA
broken. Surrounded with the love and
venerstion of all, he lived on and nothing
ever touched him more than the graceful
gift from hundreds of the Cambridge
school children of the chair made from
the wood of the chestnut tree which had
waved over the smithy Of the "Villae(
Blacksmith" At length, full of year
and honors, he departed, and can NOV
only cherish his memory % one Of u
noblest and most gifted Of men.
OsMoND TBTANY.